1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to a common printer driver application device and a method. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a common driver application device and a method enabling one common printer driver to drive a plurality of printers connected to a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a printing device such as a printer is connected to a host computer. A printer driver related to the printer is installed on the host computer to enable the printer to print documents prepared by the host computer.
The printer driver provides a User Interface (UI) window so as to enable users to set print conditions such as a number of pages, a print range, and a paper size, relating to print documents prepared by the host computer. Furthermore, the printer driver converts the print documents prepared by the host computer into a printer language. The printer language refers to commands corresponding to an emulation mode supported by the printer. The printer can support various emulations such as PCL, KSSM, and Postscript.
Each printer provides a different UI window depending upon a printer language and version that each printer supports. As a result, under conventional circumstances in which a plurality of printers are connected to one host computer, a user has to install a different printer driver for each of the printers if the printers support different printer languages and printer functions, respectively. In addition, when replacing printers connected to the host computer or adding printers to the host computer, a user has to install printer drivers in the host computer for the replaced or added printers. As new functions are added to the connected printers, the user also has to re-install printer drivers in the computer for the printers to which the new functions have been added
Under conventional circumstances as described above, printer users and manufacturers experience inconveniences since the different printer drivers provide different UI windows that are not consistent with one another. Therefore, users feel inconvenienced when manipulating or setting print conditions through the different UI windows. Furthermore, manufacturers experience inconveniences when producing the different printer drivers that provide a different UI window depending upon the printer languages and printer functions that each printer supports.